Construction News

Connecting Interstate 19 in Arizona with the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, State Route 189 is a major truck and car thoroughfare that services more than 7 million vehicles a year.

But because of the large number of trucks entering and exiting the port, connecting Arizona and Mexico, traffic congestions and back-ups have increasingly become the order of the day on what is also known as N. Mariposa Road.

Now officials with the Arizona Department of Transportation have announced plans for an extensive $137 million rebuilding of the 3.7-mile route, which will also include intersection improvements and the construction of a bridge over the Frank Reed Road, just to the north of State Route 189.

The project, with preliminary engineering and environmental studies beginning in 2011, is including as part of ADOT’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction program, and according to officials, will save Arizona $15 million by being done all at one time, rather than in phases.

The project, which earlier this year also received a $25 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, is expected to see work begin early next year with a general completion date of 2021.

In a statement, John Halikowski, the director of ADOT, remarked that a “State Route 189 that can better support international trade will make Nogales, Santa Cruz County, and Arizona better places to live and do business.”